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Asomdwee Essandokurom
Anglican Primary School,
Ghana
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| Why Ghana? What are the problems? Impact of the project Construction agenda Project costings Community involvement Construction diary & progress |
Project Goals:
The aim of this project is to increase access to education for the children of the Essandohkrom community in Ghana, by constructing a school block for pre-school and primary school children, comprising of two classrooms and a library. We will also provide furniture and install a safe drinking water system.
Why Ghana?
Ghana remains one of the world's poorest countries. Many children, especially in rural areas, do not have access to a good quality education in a safe and healthy school environment:
- Only 60% of children are enrolled in primary school
- Just 75% of this number actually attend school regularly
- Female literacy is very low at just 63%
- A mere 37% of children attend secondary school
Asomdwee Essandokurom Anglican Primary School is located in the rural Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese district of the central region. The Essandokurom community has some basic facilities constructed with assistance from Plan Ghana, however the community's current primary school is made of mud with thatched roofing. This construction is dangerous as, when heavy rainfall comes, it is likely to collapse.
A good infrastructure is fundamental to ensuring a good quality education for children, as it provides an environment that is condusive to effective teaching and learning. It not only increases the enrolment and retention of pupils but also attracts good teachers to the school. None of these factors are present in this community.
What are the problems?
- The current primary school block, used by 150 pupils, is dilapidated
- The building is made from mud and sticks with no windows and doors
- The school has no sanitation
- The school structure has become a death trap for teachers and school pupils alike
- Poor attainment and high drop out rates result from the unsatisfactory school environment and many of those enrolled don't attend school regularly for fear of the building collapsing
- There are also instances where classes have to be abandoned when there is a threat of heavy rainfall. Wind, dust and storms also mean that no classes can be held, which again, disrupts work, resulting in inadequate academic performances from the children
- The open nature of the schoolrooms leaves pupils and teachers vulnerable to reptiles and snakebites. When this happens (frequently), lessons must be abandoned and pupil attendance rates have dropped as a consequence
- As a result of these problems, absenteeism is rife among pupils and even teachers. Unsurprisingly, parents in the local community have become reluctant to enrol their children at the school
- To compound these problems, there is not enough furniture in the classrooms for all the pupils. Many to use benches and other furniture from their own homes during lessons. This is uncomfortable and therefore has a negative impact on the learning environment
- The unsafe and poorly resourced school leads to teachers only staying for a short time before applying to be transferred - this lack of consistency is detrimental to the pupils' education
Impact of the project
The project will ensure that Asomdwee Essandokurom School provides a safe, healthy and conducive learning environment for over 150 children today and for future generations.
Increased enrolment and better attendance will result from the improvement of the school environment and the community awareness raising activities.
Improved school attainment by pupils will result from the rehabilitated infrastructure of the school, permanent teachers, the provision of books and learning materials.
Construction agenda
- Meeting with community to plan, design and implement the project
- Meeting with stakeholders to assign role and responsibilities
- Preparation of project outline
- Contracting of artisans
- Purchasing of materials
- Molding of blocks
- Digging of foundation trenches
- Foundation and substructure work on classrooms
- Superstructure work on classrooms
- Construction of windowframes and doorframes
- Roofing of classrooms
- Construction of windows and doors
- Fixing of windows and doors
- Construction of furniture
- Plastering
- Screeding
- Painting
- Construction of platform for the water tank
- Construction of eave gutters to the water tank
- Commissioning and handing over of the project to the community
Project costings
To complete this project in full £17,650 is required. This investment will give over 150 children each year access to a decent primary education.
| ACTIVITY: | BUDGET (£) |
| 2 Classroom block | 6,100 |
| Library | 3,200 |
| Library books | 900 |
| School latrine | 3,100 |
| Water storage facility | 1,600 |
| Furniture | 1,750 |
| Programme support | 950 |
| TOTAL: | 17,650 |
Community involvement
The Plan charity believes that community involvement is integral to the sustainability of its projects, as it creates a feeling of ownership. The Essandohkrom community has already played an important role in the construction of the school by:
- offering land and clearing the site
- digging the stumps and gathering stones and sand
- children carried water to the site to help with the construction of the school.
The community will continue to help in this way throughout the construction phase of the project. Both the children and adults of Essandohkrom have attended community meetings to discuss the progress of work. This means that everyone is kept up to date and involved in every stage of the construction.
Construction Diary & Progress
September 2006
At the end of September 2006, construction of the Essandohkrom Primary School block is underway with the excavation of the foundation trench. Building materials, including sand and stones have been delivered to the site and blocks for the base foundation moulded. All the books for the new library have also been bought.
Please click on the small photos below for a larger view.
December 2006
At the end of December 2006 work has progressed steadily on site, reaching the second phase; meaning that the construction of the gables is almost complete and that windows and doorframes have also been fitted. The pit for the school latrine has also been dug and work on the latrine building will start soon. Sand and stones have been delivered to the site. Work on the project is moving swiftly.
Please click on the small photos below for a larger view.
All the stakeholders involved with the project are playing their part effectively and community members have been particularly instrumental in getting the project to this stage.
Local men were involved in clearing the site and digging the pit for the school latrine. They have also played an important role in the monitoring of the project, to ensure high quality work by the artisans.
Women and children from the community assisted in fetching water. Alongside the male community members they have also been involved in monitoring and assessing the progress of the project and have regularly helped with the communal labour
A Plan staff member, the District Assembly Representative, the consultant, artisans and community members (men, women and children) attend regular site meetings to discuss the progress of work and other related issues.
No serious problems have been encountered to date and the project is running smoothly and on time.
July 2007
Since the start of this project in October 2005, Plan Ghana has, with the help of the local community, completed the construction of 6 new classroom blocks and a library facility. The materials for the construction of the rainwater tank to provide clean drinking water for the children have also been purchased, along with books for the library and school furniture. The latrine block is almost complete with the lintel in place and the building materials purchased and waiting on site for the continuation of construction. All this is despite a 100% increase in the price of building materials as a result of an energy crisis that hit Ghana in August last year.
The last few months have been busy and the team has achieved a great deal - this is despite the project having to face a series of restrictions resulting from an energy crisis and subsequent production costs.
- The team has finished the construction of 6 bright and airy classrooms in two blocks, complete with plastered and painted walls, windows and doors.
- Each classroom is now equipped with a full set of desks, chairs, book cases and black boards specially crafted for the primary school by local artisans.
- The library has been finished and is now loaded with the new books that arrived on site back in September 2006.
- Bricks have been moulded and stones and sand have been gathered in preparation for the final stages of latrine construction.
- Poly tanks and other materials have been purchased for the construction of the rainwater catchment system that will provide clean drinking water for the children and teaching staff once the school opens.
As with all of Plan's work, the involvement of the community, the children, and the local authorities has been of primary importance throughout the project. The men have been involved in the moulding of building blocks, the mixing of mortar and the collection of sand and stones for the construction of the library and the school latrine. Women and children have assisted the project in fetching water for the site as well as monitoring the project, along with the men, to ensure that it is completed to the highest standards and meets their expectations. Children have shown an interest in the building of their new school and frequently visit the site to see how work is progressing.
It has also been important to ensure that the community and local authorities are involved in the planning of the work. This has been achieved through the staging of frequent meetings to discuss the progress of work and other issues related to the effect the project will have on the local community.
Involving the community in this way ensures the sustainability of the project by its manifestation as something created by the community rather than imposed upon it - this guarantees that the needs and expectations of those that will use the primary school are met. As a result, attendance will rise and the future of the children will be better provided for.
Problems Encountered - and the need for continued fundraising:
The energy crisis that hit Ghana in August 2006 has had an adverse effect on the project due to the subsequent crippling of the country's industries. Power is now rationed across the area which has meant that construction has not been able to run on schedule and production costs have rocketed as a result with a 100% increase in the cost of building materials. Despite this, the project is now almost complete due to the perseverance of Plan Ghana, the local community and the local authorities. The deadline has been extended to June 2008 to allow for fundraising to take place to cover these unexpected obstacles and enable to project to be completed to the highest standard.
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